What Commitment Means to Your Business
You make a commitment to turn your dream into a reality. You put in long hours, invest money, and sometimes sacrifice other areas of your life in order to fulfill your business’s potential for future success.
That commitment is a way of promising yourself, your employees, your customers, and your community that you are in it for the long run.
But it takes more than your personal commitment to achieve your vision — your employees also must share your commitment to that vision. When you focus on building a culture that aligns with your vision, mission, and core values on every level and in every aspect of your business, you inspire commitment in your team members.
What does your commitment mean to your employees?
When employees see you demonstrate commitment to your business, they understand they are part of something bigger than themselves and their work has meaning. A sense of purpose inspires increased productivity and performance.
Your commitment also lets employees know you are fully invested in the future of the business, which boosts their confidence in the future of their jobs and makes them less likely to look for other opportunities.
Lead by example
When you set standards for your employees to follow and live up to those standards yourself, your employees have a compelling reason to follow in your footsteps. When rules don’t apply to everyone, no one feels motivated to follow them.
Your professionalism, fairness, positive attitude, and gratitude for others are also ways you can inspire a culture of commitment among your employees.
Share the vision
Keep your employees informed and involved in your company so they feel it’s more than just a job. Take time regularly to provide general updates and establish a pattern of communication. Employees feel valued when leaders discuss the big picture and explain plans to ensure the ongoing success of the business. Introduce and manage changes in a way that ensures employees understand why the changes are important.
An open door
Trust motivates employees to stick around long-term. To strengthen your relationships with employees, talk to them regularly, welcome their feedback — positive or negative — and show empathy when they face a challenge at work or in their personal lives.
Make time for fun
Engaging socially with your team strengthens your relationships and helps your team cultivate relationships among themselves. Find something that works for your business and make it a company ritual. Think about activities such as Friday pizza lunches, birthday celebrations, holiday parties, volunteering events and other experiences.
Commitment breeds commitment. When you foster a culture where employees care deeply about their jobs and the people they work with, it’s easier to get things done.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk: